After ready all day for Sunday night time, the Detroit Lions lastly took the sector to play the Houston Texans in primetime. It was a sloppy recreation the place turnovers have been taking place left and proper. Each groups couldn’t maintain the bal,l and simply when one workforce would flip it over, the opposite workforce was variety sufficient to present the ball proper again to them as a favor. Detroit was down 23-7 at halftime and regardless of being down by 16, didn’t flinch, didn’t budge, and fought again to win the sport 26-23, shutting out Houston within the second half. This was the worst recreation I’ve seen this workforce play, and so they STILL walked away with a victory.
Take a look at my winners and losers within the comeback 26-23 win in opposition to the Texans.
Jake Bates
Coming into the season, kicker Jake Bates confronted loads of criticism regardless of being the starter. He missed kicks in apply and the preseason. After he missed an additional level earlier this season, individuals questioned if he actually might be the kicker Detroit wanted. Bates has made some clutch kicks already this season, however in opposition to Houston on Sunday night time, Bates made not one, however two big kicks.
Bates barely made a 58-yard discipline aim to tie the sport at 23 because the ball glided simply in opposition to the suitable facet of the goalpost. After the Lions made a defensive stand, Bates made a 52-yard discipline aim as time expired, successful the sport for the Lions. Should you didn’t consider in Bates earlier than this recreation, you actually can consider in him now.
Alim McNeill
When the Texans tried to run the soccer close to Lions defensive deal with Alim McNeill, it wasn’t working. Texans working again Joe Mixon had solely 25 carries for 46 yards and a landing, averaging simply 1.8 yards a carry. McNeill was an enormous a part of the Texans’ run recreation struggles, as he pushed via the weak inside offensive line and received to Mixon to gradual him down. If it wasn’t McNeill attending to him first, he was ending the play or disrupting Mixon from going elsewhere.
McNeill wasn’t simply stopping the run both, he received a sack on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. McNeill ended with six tackles, two tackles for loss, and the lone sack. He’s taking part in like an All-Professional defensive deal with and is an enormous cause why the Lions have been in a position to win this recreation.
Carlton Davis
This was the most effective recreation I’ve seen by cornerback Carlton Davis in a Lions uniform. He has had a mean season in Detroit thus far, making just a few useful performs and a few errors, however Sunday night time he made a whole lot of massive performs. At first of the second half, down 23-7, on the primary play of the half, Davis jumped the route and received an enormous interception to present Detroit possession on the Texans 31-yard line.
Davis wasn’t performed with simply that one interception. He made one other big interception within the third quarter as Houston’s vast receiver Tank Dell was vast open in the long run zone and Davis ran over to snag the ball out of the air and kill the Texans’ drive. Davis was a playmaker general on the night time, ending with 4 tackles, two move deflections, and two interceptions. If he can proceed to make performs like that, the Lions could be sensible to maintain him round for an extension.
Sam LaPorta
With the offense struggling to maneuver the ball down the sector, one participant that stood out was Lions tight finish Sam LaPorta. The Lions tight finish has had a quiet season after exploding in his rookie season final yr. You may’t say it’s a sophomore stoop as a result of he hasn’t been struggling to catch the ball or get open, the playcalling simply hasn’t been in his favor as the principle goal. Towards the Texans, although, when the Lions wanted an enormous play, LaPorta was in a position to rise to the event.
LaPorta ended the sport with three catches for 66 yards and a landing. It’s good that when the working recreation can’t get going and the vast receivers aren’et getting open, LaPorta can elevate his recreation and change into the playmaker the Lions had final season. Sadly, LaPorta’s day ended early with a shoulder injury, but it appears he avoided a serious injury.
Brian Department
Returning after his ejection within the Packers recreation, security Brian Department made a huge effect in Houston. He helped cease the run and pressure the Texans to throw the ball via the air. When Houston threw the ball, Department made some performs to disrupt the ball and compelled incompletions. Department was all over the place on the sector the place you wanted him to be.
Department ended with a team-high 10 tackles, two move deflections, and a deal with for loss. He was missed in the remainder of the Packers recreation, however the workforce survived with out him. This recreation was an excellent showcase of what he brings to this workforce general. He doesn’t simply stand out in secondary or run protection, he can do all of it. Whereas he didn’t create a turnover tonight, he nonetheless had an influence on disrupting performs and forcing gamers to alter up what they have been doing when going in opposition to him.
Losers
Offensive line
With the Lions down left deal with Taylor Decker, they introduced in Dan Skipper to switch him, and he struggled all through the night time. He continuously allowed strain and didn’t appear to get the benefit on a defensive participant. He wasn’t alone in these struggles, as even the good proper deal with Penei Sewell had probably the worst recreation of his profession. Sewell was getting the sting beat on him and making it tough for the passing recreation to be efficient.
Whereas the tackles struggled to assist the passing recreation work, the inside couldn’t determine what to do working the soccer. The Lions are identified to run the ball down opponents’ throats and this week they struggled to take action. Total, the Lions ran 32 occasions for 105 yards with one landing, ending the sport simply averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Decker being out wasn’t the principle cause for this poor exhibiting, it was only a dangerous day on the workplace for that group.
Terrion Arnold
After just a few weeks the place rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold gave the impression to be enhancing together with his protection and lack of penalties, he reverted to his outdated methods on Sunday. First, Arnold didn’t flip his head, working into the Texans vast receiver Xavier Hutchinson and was referred to as for a 41-yard move interference. Because the half was ending, the Texans discovered vast receiver John Metchie III open for a landing and Houston expanded their result in 16, making it a 23-7 rating at halftime.
The season is midway over and Arnold hasn’t appeared to enhance general as a participant. He’s nonetheless making rookie errors, and a few of these errors are issues that he ought to be enhancing upon by now, not nonetheless making. Cornerback is the hardest place to be taught as a rookie, however one thing wants to alter. Hopefully, he can determine it out within the again half of the season; if not, his second yr in 2025 should enhance.
That stated, Arnold did get a move breakup late within the recreation that pressured Houston’s lengthy discipline aim try that was missed. However, admittedly, he was a bit fortunate to not have been referred to as for move interference once more.
Jared Goff
Welp, I feel the talks for quarterback Jared Goff to win the MVP could be put to mattress after this recreation. The offensive line didn’t make his job simpler as he was below duress all through the sport, forcing him to make errors with a career-high 5 interceptions. Not the entire interceptions have been on Goff. No less than one was resulting from strain, one other was an unlucky tipped move, and one other was a Hail Mary. The remainder of them, although, have been simply throws that Goff doesn’t make and left me scratching my head at what he was taking a look at.
Goff completed the sport going 15-for-30 for 240 yards with two touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He jogged my memory of the outdated Goff who crumbled below strain and panicked when his again was up in opposition to the wall. He was additionally uncharacteristically grasping, pushing the ball unnecessarily downfield when he had choices in entrance of him. I don’t know why Goff felt the necessity to threat passes that weren’t there, and it wasn’t just like the workforce was racing in opposition to the clock.
I consider Goff will be taught from his errors and transfer on from this recreation. He isn’t an enormous risk-taker and this offense isn’t identified to chuck it deep continuously. It’s a ground-and-pound, run the ball down your throat assault. Within the first three quarters, it felt like Goff threw that concept away and needed to play hero ball, till he realized he couldn’t (and shouldn’t).
